3 things driving buyers to Miami Beach

Greater Miami is a patchwork of neighborhoods – each defined by its culture, population, and residential and commercial makeup.

Here’s why people are buying in Miami Beach:

Putting forth a big environmental effort – Miami Beach is unique in the environmental perils it faces – the most significant of which being sea level rise. The Southeast Florida Regional Compacts projects that by 2030 sea level could rise by as much as 10 inches. And that would mean disastrous flooding for Miami Beach. As a result, the City is taking action. Its devised a multi-hundred-million-dollar plan to build pumps to help drain excess water. Additionally, the City is taking more proactive steps to keep the city sustainable, like passing an ordinance requiring all new buildings that are 7,000 square feet or more to be LEED gold certified. If they're not, developers will face fees up to 5 percent of construction costs.

Walkable, with good public transportation– Miami beach offers many enriched neighborhoods for walking. Walk Score gives it a 73 for walkability, which means residents can run most errands on foot. And with a 152 busses running every hour and stopping every quarter mile, convenient public transit is also an option for slightly farther trips.

It's exclusive – Miami Beach is one of the country's premiere luxury markets, attracting buyers from all around the globe. The median price of a single-family home is $1,550,000. And just last month, the Miami Beach ZIP code of 33109 was named one of the country's five most exclusive.